Thursday, July 16, 2009

I have been thinking a lot about Stockpiling. It's the reason I coupon, in fact I wouldn't be the couponer I am, if I couldn't be Building a Stockpile. At anytime, I can go down to the "store" {my basement where we keep our stockpile} as my 4 year old calls it, and feel instantly happy, secure and mildly Type A.

So here's the problem.

There are many items I have on a list- some on paper and some in my head, that I want to have a year supply of, that I have never been able to find at what I deem A Killer {dare I say Krazy} Deal.

My List Includes:

Tampons- Tampax or PlaytexCream of Chicken SoupSyrup- like for pancakes

Here is my proposal. Let's help each other out. Have any of you found what I am looking for and were you able to stock up? What's your rock bottom price for these items? I need your wisdom here!

Also, I am very willing to reciprocate... What's on your Wishlist? And, I am curious... What's your favorite stockpiled item? Maybe you have something humorous stockpiled, like Pregnancy Tests? Let us in on all your stockpiling secrets!

44 comments:

Heather I just got Kotex tampons at Albertsons for only $1.50 per 18 pack box. It's not the best deal I am sure, but to me (I buy them at $3.79 a box at Target all the time) it was a great enough deal to stock up on some boxes!!

I've been working on the Always infinity Stockpile. I had a few $4/1 Always infinity Coupons (x 7/31/09). Fry's have a Sale going for $4.99 a box of 16 ct+, bought quite a bit 7 boxes to be exact all for .99 + Tx. Except for one box, I was able to put $1/1 from P&G esaver on my card = FREE. BTW!! I love the wonderful deals you post! Thanks for sharing such wonderful deals :)

You could also stockpile ingredients to MAKE pancake syrup. It's super easy to make, and it tastes awesome. You can either make it each time you cook, or just have a squeeze bottle in the fridge and refill as needed. The recipe I use is 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup water, Mapeline flavor to taste (about 2 TB) and corn syrup (opt) to thicken. Put all ingredients in a saucepan, mix well, and heat to boiling. Boil about 1 minute and remove from heat. Done! Be careful though, if it boils over (as it does quickly) it makes a HUGE sticky mess, so watch it closely.

My point to this enormously long message is that brown and white sugar and corn syrup are easy to stockpile, you don't need to store water (though you might anyway)and that just leaves the maple flavor. Just an idea...

Kandie,I'm impressed by your domestic skills! What a good idea! It made me remember that I love "Honey Syrup". 4 parts honey, one part water and some cinnamon. Over the stove and yummmm!! Especially good on wheat pancakes, in my opinion.

Every year at Thanksgiving time Wal-Mart has Campbell's cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups on sale. They are usually 50cents a can. This is a steal compared to the regular price and is cheaper than I even see store brand cream soup go. I will buy several cases to stock up for the year. If you're able to add some coupons to that price it makes for a great deal. I didn't start couponing until after the first of the year so I haven't added coupons to this process yet. Just waiting for fall... There have been 2 years when I've actually gone in the morning on Thanksgiving Day and it is marked even lower. Hope that helps to at least get you in a good direction.

The best I ever see cream of ckn is 50 cents. It seems like Albertsons did a sale two years in a row in the fall with Campbell's cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, and tomato soup for .50 each. Walmart has this price sometimes too.

I stock pile:soft adult toothbrushes I like to pay no more than .50 each I got a lot of the soft bristle Gum brand toothbrushes for .25 at Albertson's months and months ago.

I like to stockpile the Kotex thin panty liners (16 or 20 ct boxes) for .25 a box at Walmart after the .75/1 coupons.

I like to stockpile the free BBQ sauce from Kraft. We had the coupons with the sale at Albertson's last week.

I stock pile CANDY and chocolate for the next holiday....Halloween for Christmas and Christmas for Easter. Check expirations though. I have 2 kids b-days in Jan and Feb so I use candy from Christmas too for gift bags. I don't have coupons but great deals when they are 75% off. I buy the individually wrapped candy with out the holiday colored packaging if I can do it. Smarties etc. This is not good for the waste line but I have my hubby hide it so I don't eat it. I keep a list on what I have. That is my secret--but it's worth sharing. HIDE IT and don't go looking for the candy in your house!!!

1. PREPARATION: 2. Combine all ingredients and mix well with wire whisk until blended. Store mix in an airtight container. 3. To prepare as a substitute for one can of condensed cream soup in recipes, stir together 1/3 cup dry mix and 1-1/4 cup water in a saucepan. 4. Cook and stir until thickened. Mix a total of nine cans condensed soup substitute. 5. Just add the ingredient that forms the basis of the soup. Chop mushrooms, saute in a bit of olive oil and add for cream of mushroom soup. Add dark meat from cooked chicken for cream of chicken soup. You get the idea!

At rite aid a couple of weeks ago when the stayfree were b1g1, so were the ob tampons. With the $1.50 mc it make them really cheap. Plus the rebate gift card made it even sweeter. Wags and RA have tampon deals all the time. I have a year supply of those for sure. Creamed soups are always part of the Smiths (kroger) caselot sales in UT and I buy a case in Sept and a case in March. I think they were .44 each if I remember right. I don't ever run out and seem to run low just as the next case lot sale is starting. I agree with the comment on making your own syrup. I haven't bought syrup for years. Buy the maple flavoring in the fall when spices go on sale and you'll be set for at least a year.HTH

I own a daycare so I am always on the look out for things like 100% juice, applesauce, peanut butter and of course diapers! I have what should be a 6 months supply of cereal! My pantry is stocked to the ceiling with that! I also have a HUGE supply of milk for the little ones. Those milk coupons plus the doublers and the milk cats last week were awesome! Oh and I have enough icecream to last quite awhile. Thank goodness I have 3 freezers. :)

This isn't something everyone needs but I hate buying breast pads. They are lik 8.00 a box and speaking of bodily functions I go threw them fast. I joke that I have to spend more on breastpads then groceries.Oh and I hate olives so I would definetely trade olives for breastpads;)

I feel secure when I have the daily essentials stockpiled-t.p., grape jam for my son's bread and jelly (hides his seizure medication), toiletries,tampons, water pitcher refills, dishwasher detergeant packs (check out my Stressed by Mess blog for deal at Walmart) http://stressedbymess.blogspot.com

I try to get things as close to free or free as possible. I almost never pay full price for ANYTHING! Once you've had a taste for the savings that come with coupon match ups there is no going back to paying retail!!

Oh ladies, thankyou so much for the syrup info!!! That sounds awesome! I can't wait to try them! I'm looking to stockpile cream of wheat. We love it at our house! I've only been couponing since March and I've been waiting for it to come on sale and nothing :o(Has anyone ever seen it come on sale? I'm totally into canning right now! I'm not sure it's cheaper the first year but I think it will be next year. I've been able to get some great deals on fruit. Actually today I have 4 boxes of apricots and 2 boxes of tomatoes coming! I can't wait to get those bottled and stockpiled! Thanks for all the great info!Jenniferwww.bowdaciousbaby.com

I am stockpiling my syrup this week. I am not a picky person on brands when it comes to most things but syrup... It absolutely must be Log Cabin, I don't like any other kind. It is usually 4.29 for 24 oz. at Albertsons. This week the 24 oz. Log Cabin's are 2.99 at Albies (they were last week too). I bought $1 off coupons off of ebay and doubled them. They are now .99.

That recipe is about right. I use more Mapeline just to meet my own taste buds, and we exchanged 1 cup white sugar for brown. It just tastes better, plus it's how my mom made it! But either way should be tasty.

Another idea/suggestion for stockpiling: fresh berries. They are on sale this week at Freddy's, and will probably be again somewhere as it's that time of year. I bought a ton of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Then I spread them on a cookie sheet, put it in the freezer, and put the frozen berries in freezer bags. Now I can use them to make my low-sugar jam (doesn't freeze well) whenever I want it, or throw them in cereal or smoothies.

I guess i've not looked at my coupons very closely... I usually go to the self checkout and they hardly ever look at my coupons they just authorize the doublers for me. Maybe i should read them more carefully

well as far as tampons go.... ever heard of menstrual cups? there are a few different kinds if you search them on google...but i decided to try them out and i must say they are so much more convenient, and are supposedly supposed to last years, saves money and the environment!...i won't go into details but you can find more info through google!!

I just checked and the coupons for $1/2 are available. Albertson's had them for quite some time for $1.09 so check it out it's been a while but for a few weeks they were $1.09.http://promotion.familytime.com/cscc/default.asp

Love your site. I run a site in orem, ut. Significantsavings.blogspot.com

For all the breastfeeding mothers out there.....I just use the Kotex pantyliners and cut them in half, stick to the inside of my bra and away I go. They work great! :-) Give it a try....I know breast pads are spendy.

MY 3 Girly Girls:You can usually get used jars (not lids) at places like DI (deseret Industries) or Idaho Youth Ranch or yard sales. I have gotten them for 10 cents a piece and yes I have also paid 8.9 a dozen when I hadn't stocked up. So keep your eye out for them at used places or yard sales because sometimes people get tired of canning and think it isn't worth their time.

Boy that's a bummer about your albertsons. Sorry, I'm in another state. If my albertsons had tried to do that with me I would have politely said, "I believe the do not double refers to copying the manufacturer's coupon, for the manufacturer. It doesn't matter to the manufacturer if a store matches a coupon because the matching funds come from the store, not the manufactrer." In the end, you have to do what your store tells you, but I think they are telling you incorrectly. I'd try another albertsons. Mine took them just fine.

Hey thanks justinandash I'll try to find those.Because I tried the Kotex pad thing last night since I have a bout 20 free packages. And decided that wasn't a good idea since my baby had little crystally things on her face when, and I am pretty sure they aren't edible I figured after that I better splurge somewhere but I'll try the lilypads. THANKSJULIANA: If there is a specific dry cat food coupon you want I can give it to you I usually have between 10-20 papers so I should have plenty, Just tell me what week to find it in ad I can mail them.

I am just learning my way around the coupon thing as I have only been seriously doing this since April/May. I get TONS of inserts each week (dumpster diving- I know where the paper carriers dump their excess on Sundays... its a recycling only bin so its clean :)) Things that I have crazy amounts of stockpile are:Paper towels (last week Meijer paid me $0.25 each to take them home)Pads/Liners- (all free or 99 cents for fancy ones!)Kelloggs Cereals- $1 each or lessRonzoni Pasta- FREE courtesy MeijerKraft Dressings - made $0.50 or so each on themMayo/ Miracle Whip- freeA-1- Free, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Listerine, Razors (all free), Glade smellies (I got through like 3-4 of these a month because of smelly kids!) I paid $1 each for them but its cheaper than buying the refills.Fruit Roll Ups- I bought 65+ boxes of these last month for $16 total... stocking up for lunches.

I needed tuna recently and realized how expensive it was! Managed to find $1/1 bumblebee tuna pouches... and the cheapest pouch at meijer was $1.13 or $0.13 each. it takes two of them to equal a CAN but that still makes the can of tuna $0.26... pretty good in my world!

Things I have NOT found free or cheap EVER:JIF Peanut Butter ( I just cannot compromise..sigh) and Tampax... cheapest I found these are $1.99 at WAGS. I would love to have more soups and sauces, frozen meats and veges in my stockpile.

I think 1.50/box of tampons is about right. This week my local grocery store (HyVee) has Kotex tampons and pads on sale for 2.49/18 count box. (thankfully, Kotex is my preferred brand) I used the $1/1 coupons and got them for 1.49/box.

Followers

Come on Webster, make it a verb!

Couponing: [koo-pon-ing, Kyoo-] (v.) the practice of redeeming discount coupons in order to save money.Couponer: [koo-pon-er, kyoo-] (n.) A person who collects and saves coupons to redeem them on products, such as groceries.